Address, fund mental health care

January 5, 2013

After last month's horrific school shooting in Newtown, Conn., some gun control opponents argued for better tracking and treatment of Americans suffering from mental illness instead of any new limits on firearms.

It would be easy — and maybe accurate, in some cases — to dismiss this call as a diversionary tactic by those who never want to give up their assault weapons.

But as the assault of Josie Lou Ratley made all too clear, serious gaps in mental health care can be a menace to public safety. This issue demands a spot on the post-Newtown agenda, along with other priorities, including sensible gun limits.

The incident occurred outside Deerfield Beach Middle School in 2010 and involved two 15-year-olds, Ratley and her assailant, Wayne Treacy. It started with a heated exchange of text messages. Ratley wrote a passing comment that made light of Treacy's brother, who had committed suicide a few months earlier. That, according to Treacy's lawyer, sent the teen over the edge. He rode his bike to the school, where he found Ratley, threw her to the ground and stomped her repeatedly on the head.

A teacher stopped the attack and saved Ratley's life, but the girl sustained irreversible brain damage. And Treacy is now serving a 20-year prison sentence.

During the trial, psychologists testified the boy suffered post-traumatic stress disorder from having seen his brother's body hanging from a tree. According to their testimony, his once stellar grades had fallen dramatically and he had begun having suicidal thoughts. Despite these changes in behavior, never was he directed toward mental health care.

It was a matter of money, says his lawyer, Russell Williams. The family lacked the money and the wherewithal to get the boy help. Neither did a strapped public school system help him find treatment. Only after his rage had forever changed the life of a beautiful teenage girl was he diagnosed with untreated PTSD.

The jurors appeared sympathetic, but felt Treacy needed to be held accountable for his actions. It's how we all react when people with mental health disorders commit heinous acts. Our hearts side with the victims, even as we ask ourselves, why didn't someone do something about that kid? How could this have been prevented? Did it have to come to this?

But again, as we all know, it so often comes down to money.

Florida ranks 48th among the 50 states in per capita funding for mental health, according to an examination by the Daytona Beach News Journal. The state spends less than a third of the national average. Yet earlier this year, determined to hit rock bottom, lawmakers again cut funding for mental health treatment — $4.6 billion since 2008.

Violence may be more of a public health threat than a mental health issue, but all Floridians who suffer from mental illness should have access to treatment. The fact that jails are our government's first line of defense for those who simply need medication, nutrition or proper care is disturbing.

The onus is on state lawmakers. What will they do about this? How will they marshal state resources to do a better job of protecting the public while providing the care to prevent other troubled youth from becoming the next Wayne Treacy?